358030 - Make Live Titles more discoverable [microsummaries]

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox Graveyard :: Microsummaries, enhancement)

Description

[guanxi]

Users need easier, more discoverable access to the Live Titles
interface.  Currently, the interface is hidden in Bookmarks >
(bookmark) > Properties > Name field > Listbox dropdown arrow.
Until the user clicks that arrow, nothing indicates that Live
Titles exists at all.

I knew about Live Titles but when beginning to use FF2, 1) I
didn't remember or notice they'd been implemented, and 2) Once I
knew, I couldn't find the interface.  I doubt most end users will
be able to figure it out.

I can think of three scenarios in which the user would add a Live
Title:
  1)  Drag a link to the bookmarks
  2)  Ctrl+D / Bookmarks > Bookmark this page.
  3)  Existing Bookmarks

#1 DRAG A LINK TO BOOKMARKS

    When the user drags a link to their bookmarks, nothing
    indicates that a Live Title is an option, nor is there any way
    to use it.

    After that, the user is working with an existing bookmark (see
    #3, below).

    I don't know an elegant solution.  A dialog could ask,'Use a
    Live or static Title?', but that seems cumbersome.  Maybe
    display an explanation the first time, with a 'never show this
    dialog again' checkbox?  Perhaps a visual indicator that a Live
    Title exists for this bookmark?  Some change to icon, text, or
    background color?


#2 CTRL+D / BOOKMARKS > BOOKMARK THIS PAGE

    The only indicator here is the drop-down arrow for the Name
    field.  It's easy to miss, it's not labeled, and nothing about
    it 'means' "Live Title"; the arrow could be for any function.

    Clicking the arrow displays options labeled "Live Titles";
    but there is still no explanation of what LT does and it's a
    brand new feature for most users.


#3  EXISTING BOOKMARKS

    If you right-click an existing bookmark, the context menu does
    not indicate the existance of Live Titles (unless you are
    already using LT for that bookmark).

    If you enter properties, you see the same interface as #2,
    above.


See bug 337825 forthe original discussion of the interface.

Comment 1

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

Bug 341839? Bug 345578? See also bug 348944.

Comment 2

[guanxi]

My search didn't turn all those up, though I'm not sure why.

In any case, I think bug 345578 and bug 348944 provide partial solutions to this bug, but don't fully address it:  Even with a UI hint and training, it's hard to discover and use the actual functionality.

But if someone wants to reorganize this issue into one or more bugs, I won't object.

Comment 3

[guanxi]

Myk Melez addressed this issue in his blog yesterday, FWIW:
http://www.melez.com/mykzilla/2006/10/improving-microsummary-discoverability.html

Comment 4

[Myk Melez [:myk] [@mykmelez]]

Alex Faaborg has since blogged about this issue as well and come up with some UI proposals for rectifying it:

http://blog.mozilla.com/faaborg/2006/12/04/the-visual-identity-and-user-interface-of-live-titles/

Comment 5

[Marco Bonardo [:mak]]

- BUGSPAM -
Wontfixing all Microsummaries bugs, since the feature has been removed from the core product and previous versions won't get further fixes for it.
If interested in supporting Microsummaries in your add-on, you're free to use our old microsummaries code and to search all previously open bugs by looking for [microsummaries-feature-removal] in the status whiteboard field.